INSANITY.

ITS CAUSES.

Abbess. And therefore came it that the man was mad: The venom clamours of a jealous woman

Poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth.

It seems his sleeps were hinder'd by thy railing;

And therefore comes it that his head is light.

Thou say'st his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings:

Unquiet meals make ill digestions,

Therefore the raging fire of fever bred;

And what's a fever but a fit of madness?

Thou say'st his sports were hinder'd by thy brawls :
Sweet recreation barr'd what doth ensue,

But moody and dull melancholy,

(Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair ;)
And, at her heels, a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures, and foes to life?
In food, in sport, and life-preserving rest
To be disturb'd, would mad or man, or beast:
The consequence is then, thy jealous fits
Have scared thy husband from the use of wits.

Comedy of Errors. Act v. Scene 1.

Servant. Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood

And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy.

Taming of the Shrew. Induction, Scene 3.

Mad call I it: for, to define true madness,
What is't, but to be nothing else but mad.

Hamlet. Act ii. Scene 2.

ITS PHENOMENA.

Polonius. Though this be madness, yet there's method in it.

How pregnant his replies are!

A happiness that madness often hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of.

Hamlet.

It is not madness,

Ibid.

That I have utter'd: bring me to the test,

And I the matter will re-word: which madness

Would gambol from.

Ibid. Act iii, Scene 4.

POLONIUS, with his oracular absurdity, is I fear not far behind our advanced knowledge on this deeply interesting subject, a subject which remains, even with our wisest physiologists, wrapt in much mystery.

Till within a few years of our times, insanity was talked of solely, and treated principally, as a disease of the mind: (what is the mind?) Not many lustrums more will pass, I imagine, before it is looked upon solely as a disease of

the body. The former system generally failed in the remedies, I trust the latter will be more successful. Undoubtedly of all diseases that flesh is heir to, it is the most grievous, as affecting the nobler part of our nature.

Whether it is that anatomists have been misled by metaphysicians, (generally but blind guides, and all differing amongst themselves,) or from whatever causes, the human brain has never until late years been the subject of such devoted examination and study, as its station, as instrument of thought, entitles it to. Things have taken a slight change lately in this respect, and much light may be expected to be thrown on mental philosophy in consequence.

The medical reader cannot fail to peruse the extract on some of the causes of insanity, with interest and admiration.

IR RESOLUTION.

Lady Macbeth.

Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? Would'st thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
Yet live a coward in thine own esteem;
Letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would,"
Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macbeth. Act i. Scene 7.

Wolsey.

We must not stint

Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censurers: which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow

That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing.

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

King Henry VIII. Act i. Scene 2.

"And" in the original. The "yet" strengthens the author's sense so much, that I have ventured to insert it.

Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.

2nd part King Henry VI. Act iv. Scene 7,

Cerimon. Virtue and cunning * are endowments greater Than nobleness and riches: careless heirs

May the two latter darken and expend;

But immortality attends the former.

To me and to my aid the blest infusions

That dwell in vegetives, in metals, stones:

And I can speak of the disturbances

That nature works, and of her cures; which gives me
A more content in course of true delight
Than to be thirsty after tottering honour,
Or tie my treasure up in silken bags,
To please the fool and death.

Pericles. Act iii. Scene 2.

ABOUT four thousand years ago, there was one who wrote that "Wisdom is more precious than rubies ;" and not so

H

* Here used for "knowledge." (German “kennen" to know.